Examples of FEM application in manufacturing technology

The technological and economical pressure in production engineering requires an optimisation of existing production processes. The finite element method (FEM) is an appropriate tool to gain the necessary knowledge of these processes. This paper will present some examples of the application of FEM in different branches of manufacturing technology: cutting with a geometrically defined and an undefined cutting edge; electro-erosion technology; metal forming processes; tribology. After the presentation of the problem, the simulation set-up for each example will be discussed and the results will be presented. Thus, this paper will provide an overview of the current possibilities for the application of FEM in manufacturing technology.